Page Three

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Searching the Internet - I stumbed upon your website recently. My father was in the 881st Squadron of the 500th Bomb Group. He was 1st Lt. William A. Welty. His job was the squadron equipment officer, in charge of all of the survival equipment and personal gear for each plane in the squadron. He trained with the Group at Walker AAF in Kansas before they went to Saipan. Dad is still alive and kicking at age 77. He and I practiced law together for 23 years.

.I remember the book that is being scanned into your website. As a child I must have looked at it 100 times or more. We can't find it today - probably misplaced in the many moves my parents have since had. My father is in the picture on page 69 - which is a picture of the 500th Bomb Group HQ softball team. He is in the upper row - far right. I guess there was stiff competition between the Groups of the 73rd Wing - and Col. Daugherty didn't like to lose. Therefore Daugherty had a few ringers on his team and my Dad was one of them. Dad played a pretty good shortstop. Technically - the players were supposed to be assigned to the Group HQ. Col Daugherty is in the lower row - 2nd from the left. Dad could member something about all of the other guys in the picture, although not too many names. He has that same picture in his closet - I've scanned it for you and have attached it.

 


I've also attached a picture of Dad on Saipan on one of the days that he was the Provost Marshall for the Squadron. Reviewing the website brought back a flood a memories for him.
- Dave Welty




 



This is a picture of my father, Stanley Koropsak, and crew. He is the one in the dark ball cap - top row . " Chotto Matte" means Just a Minute in Japanese.

Thanks - John Koropsak

After seeing this photo on the site, Jess Richey sent in the names of the remaining crew members. Thanks, Jess!

The crew L to R standing: Capt Walter Leach- AC (deceased) Lt Richard Gill - co-pilot,
Lt. Norman Schuler - Nav, Lt Stanley Koropsak - Radar Operator, Capt Pomas Fasules - Bombardier (deceased)
Front row L to R: M/Sgt Thomas Lumsden- Flight Engineer Pfc F.Hudson - Radio Operator, Pfc Charles Nance - CFC Gunner, (deceased), Sgt Howard Revie - Left gunner, Sgt Everett Daugherty - Rt.Gunner, Sgt Leigh Sherman - Tail gunner

Photo sent in by John Durst. Please visit his site at:
http://www.homestead.com/durst/index.html

 

Tinian

I've dragged this picture all over the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, on the battleship U.S.S. Nevada to the west coast from where she returned to Bikini and was atomized. The photo stayed in my barracks bag on a train across the U.S.A. to Camp Grant then on toChicago ending up in my scrapbook 55 years ago. It's still in pretty good shape.
-Bill O'Heran